It is a critical aspect of culture that our artists and musicians are given due recognition and patronage. One such vaadhyakara is a virtuoso on the original avanatta vaadhya.
The place of percussion in music is central and yet often sidelined. One artist, however, showed the way to reviving its place in our culture and our culture itself.
Our next article in our Continuing Series on Andhra Personalities is a master of the Mrdangam: Yella Venkateswara Rao.
Background
Yella Venkateswara Rao was born in a family dedicated to Saastriya Sangeeta. His mother was Mahalaxmi and his father was Sri Rama Murty, a student of the famed Carnatic violinist Dwaram Venkataswami Naidu.
Young Yella Venkatesh showed a penchant for mrdangam. The precocious child soon began performing in Kutcheris at the spritely age of 7. He would grow to become an accompanist to such worthies as the Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna. He was adopted by his uncle Yella Somanna, an accomplished mrdangist himself. [3, 269]
“I learnt the art of playing mridangam from my guru Yella Somanna, disciple of Palakkad Mani Iyer. There were only two systems of mridangam playing then and the other notable vidwan in those days was Palani Subramania Pillai,” said Venkateswara Rao. [1]
In a significant but telling story, Dwaram garu visited the family household one day. While others were in awe of him, including the elder Yella, the younger was not at all bashful and requested to accompany him in a home performance. The eminent violinist graciously obliged, and young Yella met the challenge and ably performed alongside him. He was later blessed and given a monetary reward by the musical doyen. [3, 270]
In a fine instance of one Andhraite helping another, Balamurali garu assisted Venkateswara Rao in joining of All India Radio. Yella, as he is endearingly called, is credited with truly making the mrdangam a solo instrument. Nevertheless, he continued to accompany vocalists in jugalbandis and kutapas around the country. Beyond Balamurali garu, he performed alongside Bhimsen Joshi, T.R.Mahalingam, Zakir Hussain, Ravi Shankar, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, and Emani Sankara Sastry.
Eventually marrying, Yella garu balanced professional life with family life. His grandson accompanies him on the instrument. His performances continue to this day, and he raises awareness and interest in our classical musical heritage through his self-driven efforts. At a time when the state is divided politically and socially, he is one figure who helps show what unites us all as Telugus.
Achievements
- Child Prodigy on the Mrdangam. Began performing at age 7
- Holds the distinction of playing 5 mrdangams simultaneously
- First rank in All India Radio Competition, receiving Golden Lute award
- Guinness Book of World Records entry for playing mrdangam 36 hours continuously
- Given titles Mrdanga Sarva Bauma, Mrdanga Shiromani, & Sangeeta Kalaa saagara
- Asthana vidvaan at TTD and the Andhra Pradesh state government
- 15,000 major performances, regionally, nationally, and internationally
- Founded the Yella Venkateswara Rao Institute for Mridangam & other Percussion
- Awarded Padma Sri in 2008
From crisp Kacheri performances in childhood to establishing his own Music academy for percussion instruments, Yella Venkateswara Rao has led a life of musical achievement. He is a personality par excellence in performing both solo and in accompaniment. Congenial and contemporary, he is nevertheless rooted in tradition and is a hallmark for artistry.
In many respects, he has shown the way in how to revive faltering mass interest in classical music. Due to his friendship with the then Chief Minister, he persuaded NTR to formulate Fine Arts syllabi for Potti Sriramulu Telugu University and to start courses there. Appropriately, the mrdangam maestro began teaching at Telugu University’s Music Department. Yella garu later became Dean of the School, and soon convinced PM PVNR to introduce Sangeeta sikshaka posts in Navodaya Schools. [3, 271]
These institutional contributions were followed up with his own innate virtuosity. Whether it was playing 5 instruments simultaneously or performing a blistering 15,000 times in major events, he truly was a long time Padma Sri-in-waiting. However, his best known achievement is notable not only for its endurance, but also for its collegiality among orthodoxy.
“His latest musical feat, Mrdanga Mahayajna, was held under the auspices of the
Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Andhra Pradesh on 16th and 17th
August, 1981 at the Sringeri Sankara Math (Vidyanagar, Hyderabad). He played
Mridangam non-stop for 36 hours starting from 6 am on 16th August 1981. The Yajna
reached the climax when he played the much acclaimed Siva Tandavam at mid-night on
the 17th August 1981. Musical luminaries such as Mangalampalli Bala Murali Krishna,
Emani Sankara Sastry, Nookala China Satyanarayana and Sri Rangam Gopala Ratnam
gave musical recitals to Yella’s accompaniment in the Yagna. Brahmasri Gollapudi
Kutumbavadhani, a vedic scholar, recited the vedas and read the benediction at the
concluding session.” [3, 271]
Legacy
“I started the school for teaching mridangam in the Department of Music when I was the Dean of the School of Fine Arts in the Sriramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad. I have trained nearly 2,000 students,” he informed.[1]
The impact an artist makes in his field is best determined by the parampara he leaves behind. Whether it is his time in the music department or establishing his own Music academy or teaching his own family, Yella Venkateswara Rao garu is an instrumentalist for the books. The mrdangam is also known as maddela in Telugu, and this Telugu mrdangist has left a trans-Telugu states impact.
Andhra Pradesh’s artists have had a long history of having to relocate to other states, particularly Tamil Nadu. Fortunately, Yella Venkateswara Rao garu has been among the stalwarts to have remained (against all odds).
“The city’s art-friendly milieu has led to a steady exodus of talent from Andhra Pradesh to Chennai – from M. Balamuralikrishna, Vempati Chinna Satyam, the late Mandolin Shrinivas, to A. Kanyakumari and Veena Gayatri.
“I am one of the few AP artists who resisted this temptation to re-locate,” laughs Yella. [2]
Perhaps it is time we do justice to such talents who show such attachment to our Andhra, and give them the patronage their accomplishment richly deserves. Padma Sri Yella Venkateswara Rao garu is one such. It is time we the people of Andhra give him his due.
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References:
- “Mridangam under Spotlight”. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/Mridangam-under-spotlight/article16958620.ece
- “From the Land of Annamacharya”. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/chennai-margazhi-season/from-the-land-of-annamacharya/article6672756.ece
- Shodhganga. shodhganga. inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/25437/10/10_chapter%206.pdf
- “Befitting honour for Susheela”. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Befitting-honour-for-Susheela/article15151785.ece
- NTR Memorial Trust
